For bars don't mess around with anything under .090-095". I would also highly suggest picking up real tubing in 4130 and using seamless tubing NOT welded seam.

Brandon

 

i build a lot of custom handlebars
i never use anything less than .120 wall thickness
try and stick with dom tubing or 4130 chromoly or 304 grade stainless

 

sorry double post

 

Cool, thanks for the advice, that's what I'm looking for. One last, where's a good place to get material? We have some steel supply places in Houston, which I'm guessing would sell seemless 4130? And is chromoly weldable with a trigger-fed Hobart flux cored/MIG welder? It's rated to 140 amps.

 

onlinemetals.com or mcmastercarr.com or metalsdepot.com

BUT...

Your local place will be much cheaper and you can get it right away.

My local steel supply has quite a selection, yours should too. Just call em up.

1 inch O.D., DOM, with a .120 wall

.120 wall is pretty stout, but I'd like to error on the side of stout. lol

 

Stout metal, stout beer, both a good thing... )

Thanks for the advice.

 

Chromoly isn't going to be happy welded with the equipment you have. Regular .120 wall D.O.M. mild steel seamless tubing will be just fine.

 

I was thinking it might not but wasn't sure. Thanks for the clarification.

 

.120 is a typical thickness for frame tubing, and is overkill for handlebars.
.095 is perfect.

Heck, Harley stock bars are even thinner, made from stainless, and there are bazillion of 'em on the road.

 

.120 is a typical thickness for frame tubing, and is overkill for handlebars.
.095 is perfect.

Heck, Harley stock bars are even thinner, made from stainless, and there are bazillion of 'em on the road.

I would honestly have to agree, but in the typical bender i've had problems with kinking in materials as light as .095.

 

Just looked at a half dozen handlebars and none of them were DOM. Most around .095. But I don't see where heavier is gonna hurt anything. It's not like you're gonna add 50 lbs. to your bike.

 

...no matter what thickness you would use...why? because for example look the Triumph handle bar clamps, too thin in the base in my opinion, so if you crash or hit the thicker handlebar will resist but not those clamps.
Most 70 s 80 s jap bikes the clamps are from Aluminum, so I do not think that those resist a strong impact...